The Hunger Game Book Review

Collins,Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.


For my 21st Century book, I chose to read "The Hunger Games." My classmates chose to read this book as a dystopian novel but I decided to read this book as my 21st century book to show the features of this book that makes it not only dystopian but also contemporary 21st century book. I actually saw the movie first before I started to read this book. The reason I chose to read the book was that I really enjoyed watching the movie. Another reason I decided to read this book was because I found that this book is a trilogy. Since I enjoyed watching the first one, I decided to read the 2nd and 3rd book before the movies came out.
This book is about a girl named Katniss Everdeen from District 12. The story takes place in a nation called Panem. Every year, the capitol picks one boy and one girl from 12 districts for them to participate in a cruel, brutal competition called the hunger game. The hunger game is a competition that challenges the 24 participants to fight to death leaving only one survivor. From District 12, Peeta and Primrose were picked to represent the district but katniss, Primrose's sister, decided to volunteer in place for Primrose. So the two candidates from District 12, katniss and Peeta moved to the capitol to participate in the hunger game. Basically, Katniss wins the game together with Peeta becoming a new figure to the Capitol, which is illegal. She becomes a threat for swaying the 12 Districts.  The first book ends giving the suspense to the readers that there will be more challenges for Katniss in the 2nd and 3rd book.

Reviewed by Alex Han Period 3 Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

The setting of this book in taken in Panem's capitol where the Hunger Game is taken place. The setting reflects very well with the character, Katniss. Katniss lives in the wild area of District 12 making her fight in a comfortable atmosphere. Setting is a great support to the theme because I feel like the theme is that when we are put to a test of life and death, we will struggle to live even if we have to get our hands dirty. The wild forest  arena portrays our oldest setting we ever lived in, bringing out our bestiality and brutality.

I think the author's intention with this book was to show that our natural behavior towards survival is brutal and cruel. Even though the book takes place in the future after North America gets demolished, there still is no advance in human greed and human behaviors.


Alex Han
Period 3